The MA in Art History and Curating offers a theoretical and critical approach to the study of art history and curatorial practice. Focusing mainly, but not exclusively, on the modern period (19th and 20th centuries), the programme addresses key developments in art and art history up to the present day, as well as offering theoretical and practical training in the field of museum studies and curating.
The programme is intended for graduates who have studied Fine Art, Art History or any other Arts and Humanities discipline, or those from non-arts backgrounds wishing to pursue a new subject. It will also appeal to those already working in the museums or galleries sector wishing to undertake Continuing Professional Development (CPD). There are opportunities to participate in overseas study tours and in recent years the department has visited Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bilbao, Milan, Paris, Florence, Venice and New York. Regional exhibition and site visits will also take place.
The Arts play a significant and growing role in wealth creation and the regeneration of urban and rural environments. Arts and heritage organisations increasingly look to recruit postgraduates with a background in the arts. Liverpool Hope University has excellent links with cultural and community organisations in the city so is ideally placed to offer a postgraduate programme of this nature.
· You will be taught at the Creative Campus – a specialist creative and performing Arts Campus in Liverpool City Centre
· You will have unparalleled access to Tate Liverpool, the Walker, Open Eye and Bluecoat galleries, the innovative FACT centre and the International Liverpool Biennial.
· There are opportunities to participate in overseas study tours and in recent years the department has visited Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bilbao, Milan, Paris, Florence, Venice and New York.
· Arts and heritage organisations increasingly look to recruit postgraduates with a background in the arts. Liverpool Hope University has excellent links with cultural and community organisations in the city so is ideally placed to offer a postgraduate programme of this nature.
Key information
Mode of study: Full or part time
Study pattern: September entry
For more information, download the Art History and Curating Course Leaflet.
For students who do not wish to undertake a full MA, a Postgraduate Certificate is also available.
The programme consists of three taught modules, a work placement or Negotiated Learning module and a dissertation and dissertation preparation. You must complete 180 credits to graduate with the MA and each module will be assessed. Assessment methods vary but generally include essays, presentations and a dissertation.
Modules include:
· Issues in Modern Art, 1848-Present (compulsory – 30 credits)
· Contemporary Curating (compulsory – 30 credits)
· Work Placement (optional – 15 credits)
· Negotiated Learning Module (optional – 15 credits)
· Museum Theory and Practice (compulsory – 30 credits)
· Dissertation Preparation (compulsory – 15 credits)
· Dissertation (compulsory – 60 credits)
AHRC Studentship for 2011-13
Liverpool Hope University has been awarded postgraduate studentships by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) as part of the Block Grant Partnership Capacity Building scheme 2011–14. As a result, the following studentships (fees plus maintenance bursary) are available to successful applicants on the following programme, in either full-time or part-time mode:
To start September 2012 and September 2013: (one MA studentship in each year)
MA Art History and Curating
Applicants must have resident status in the UK and meet the eligibility criteria set out in the AHRC’s Guide to Student Funding (see Block Grant Partnerships). For more information please visit our homepage.
For enquiries and full details regarding September 2012 and 2013 entry, please contact:
AHRC Funding Information
Teaching for this programme will be delivered mainly at the Creative Campus (which is close to the City Centre and ideally situated for access to public transport). It has its own gallery, the Cornerstone Gallery, with a busy exhibition programme.
The Department of Fine and Applied Arts is staffed by professional artists, designers and art historians. Tutors are practising writers, curators or makers, with national and international experience in their chosen field of research.
The Creative Campus houses a broad range of Creative subjects and a wide variety of extra-curricular activities including the annual Cornerstone Arts Festival of music, performance and art. You will have unparalleled access to Tate Liverpool, the Walker, Open Eye and Bluecoat galleries, the innovative FACT centre and the International Liverpool Biennial.
As part of the MA Art History and Curating, students can choose to undertake a work placement, which is arranged for them by the programme team and is supervised by a mentor at the placement site.
Emma Sumner, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
My work placement was based in the Fine Art department at the Walker Art Gallery. I worked on the forthcoming exhibition The Art Books of Henri Matisse, designing a display of artists’ books from the Walker’s collection. I gained experience in the working process that leads up to the exhibition installation. This included attending exhibition meetings, working with departments involved in the exhibition process (Conservation, Exhibition, Press and Marketing), seeking copyright permissions for reproductions, researching the works in the display and writing interpretation labels and text panels. During the exhibition, I will be presenting three public talks giving a brief history of the artist book and focusing on the works on display.
The most valuable part of the placement was the experience of writing interpretation and learning about the guidelines that the gallery works to. Overall I know that the experience I have gained will help me to apply for work once I have completed my study. I have continued to volunteer within the department since completing my placement.
Anu Parthasarathy, The Bluecoat, Liverpool
I worked on a project with Sara-Jayne Parsons (Exhibition Curator) and Denise Courcoux (Gallery Coordinator) for the Honky Tonk exhibition at the Bluecoat (22 July – 18 Sept 2011), in developing a short film by Tim Brunsden to be shown as part of the exhibition. The main tasks involved were researching on the honky tonk culture, specifically in Liverpool, and collating profiles of the artists and the participants of the film. This research was used in the information pack for visitors in the gallery. I also assisted with filming practicalities such as accompanying Tim to offsite filming, obtaining permission from any third party venues, and creating consent forms for the participants of the film.
Practical experience in the installation of an exhibition was gained by working on the previous exhibition Look11:Confined. Working with the curator and the gallery technicians gave me pointers on how an exhibition is installed in the galleries. I also worked on the condition checking of the artworks for this exhibition.
The Bluecoat is one of Liverpool's leading art institutions and working with the excellent exhibitions team was an invaluable opportunity in experiencing the curatorial process involved in the development of an exhibition.
| 2009-2010 |
Education Team, FACT Exhibitions Team, Bluecoat |
| 2010-2011 |
Communities Team, Museum of Liverpool Exhibitions Team, Bluecoat Marketing Department, National Museums Liverpool Antiquities Department, World Museum Liverpool Curatorial Team, Walker Art Gallery Curatorial Team, Galleries La Nuvola, Rome |
Art History and Curating provides a firm foundation for diverse career opportunities and provides a broad range of transferable skills. The programme offers graduates a varied range of career pathways including work in galleries and museums, the heritage and cultural industries, community work, the media, publishing, marketing, advertising and education.
The Arts play a significant and growing role in wealth creation and the regeneration of urban and rural environments. Arts and heritage organisations increasingly look to recruit postgraduates with a background in the arts. Liverpool Hope University has excellent links with cultural and community organisations in the city so is ideally placed to offer a postgraduate programme of this nature.
Student Recruitment
+44 (0) 151 291 3111
Dr Amelia Yeates
+ 44 (0) 151 291 3645
AHRC Funding Information
Department: Fine and Applied Art
"I would highly recommend this course to anyone who is interested in the field of art history and museum studies."
"A well structured programme, effectively taught by skilled tutors that allows the student to understand the theoretical and practical aspects of art and museums".
"I found the course accessible without an academic background in art history."
